System for implementing cooking instructions

ABSTRACT

A system of networked appliances for implementing cooking instructions for a prepackaged food item in a cooking appliance includes an imaging device configured to read an input associated with the prepackaged food item, a cooking instruction database comprising a list of prepackaged food cooking instructions, and a query module comprising executable instructions to query the cooking instruction database based on the input and return cooking instructions for the prepackaged food item.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/683,961, filed Aug. 23, 2017, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure relates to components and accessories for a communicatingappliance.

Household appliances typically comprise one or more componentsresponsible for the electromechanical operations of the appliance. Forexample, an oven can include an appliance management component having aprinted circuit board (PCB) with memory, as well as a user-interfacecomponent, such as a control panel or keypad, for a user to issuecommands to the oven.

Prepackaged foods typically include preparation instructions formultiple appliances, such as one set of instructions for stovetop useand another set of instructions for use with microwave ovens. It can bebeneficial to simplify food preparation by utilizing automationcapabilities of appliances having electronic control and communicationsystems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a system of networkedappliances for implementing cooking instructions for a prepackaged fooditem in a cooking appliance, including an imaging device configured toread an input associated with the prepackaged food item, a cookinginstruction database comprising a list of prepackaged food cookinginstructions, a query module comprising executable instructions to querythe cooking instruction database based on the input and return cookinginstructions for the prepackaged food item, a conversion modulecomprising executable instructions that convert the cooking instructionsto modified cooking instructions, and at least one appliance configuredto receive the modified cooking instructions.

In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a system of networkedappliances for implementing cooking instructions for a prepackaged fooditem in a cooking appliance, including a cooking instruction databasecomprising a list of prepackaged food cooking instructions, a mobiledevice having an imaging device configured to receive an inputidentifying the prepackaged food item, a query module comprisingexecutable instructions to query the cooking instruction database basedon the input and return cooking instructions for the prepackaged fooditem, and a conversion module comprising executable instructions thatconvert the cooking instructions to modified cooking instructions, andat least one appliance configured to receive the modified cookinginstructions from the mobile device and to implement the modifiedcooking instructions for the prepackaged food item.

In yet another aspect, the disclosure relates to a method ofimplementing cooking instructions on prepackaged foods by way of anapplication executed on a mobile device, the method includes receiving,in a processor, an input from the application, querying a database forcooking instructions associated with the input, converting the cookinginstructions into modified cooking instructions by removing apre-heating step, outputting the modified cooking instructions, andreceiving the modified cooking instructions in one of an appliance or amobile device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a network for exchanging informationbetween a mobile device, a server, and an appliance.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a software application in the mobiledevice of FIG. 1 according to various aspects described herein.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a module of the software applicationof FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a mobile interactive display illustratinga first aspect of the software application of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a mobile interactive display illustratinga second aspect of the software application of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a mobile interactive display illustratinga third aspect of the software application of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a mobile interactive display illustratinga fourth aspect of the software application of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of networked appliances utilizing thesoftware application of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A network can include servers, appliances, and mobile devices that canbe in communication over a communications network, such as a middlewareor cloud storage. An application programing interface (API), hereinreferred to as a “software application” or “app”, can access thecommunications network in which digital data from servers can be stored.The app can use a processor on a mobile device to execute instructionsand communicate with the network. Additionally, the app can use aninteractive display or user interface on the mobile device to allow foruser input or customization.

Databases stored in the communications network can include data relatingto a set of cooking instructions for prepackaged food items which areaccessible via the software application. A cooking instruction databasecan include information such as recommended appliances for preparing thefood item and cooking times, as well as user intervention steps such asstirring or removing an outer wrapper from the food item.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a data network 10 according to one aspectof the disclosure. The network 10 can include wired, wireless, or acombination of wired and wireless points or nodes to connectcommunication paths for exchanging and transporting data. The network 10can also include one or more networks 10 in communication with eachother. Nodes in the network 10 include a server 12 in networkcommunication via a server communication module 12C, an appliance 14, amobile device 16, and a communications network 15 such as the Internet.The server communication module 12C enables wired or wireless connectionto the communications network 15 and provides for the exchange ofinformation and data between the server 12, the appliance 14, and/or themobile device 16.

The server 12 can be a general purpose computer or server used by amanufacturer, provider, or retailer of goods or services, and cancommunicate information and data to the network 10 as well as provideaccess to various databases accessible by or stored on the server 12.The databases can include particularized information, such as a cookinginstructions database 40 containing a listing of cooking instructionsfor prepackaged foods searchable by the app user. It will be understoodthat other databases (not illustrated) can be included on the server 12,such as a companion database containing a list of augmented cookinginstructions for prepackaged foods, such as the addition of freshingredients or combination recipes combining one or more prepackagedfoods, in non-limiting examples.

The server 12 can be configured to query the database 40 forinformation. The server 12 can also have a memory that storesinformation such that the database 40; alternatively, the server 12could be in network communication with the database 40. The server 12can also be used to search, generate, or otherwise send data, includinga message, SMS, or MMS in non-limiting examples, over the network 10 tothe appliance 14 or the mobile device 16. While only one server 12 isshown in FIG. 1, it should be understood that the network 10 can includemultiple servers 12. The server 12 can also communicate with one or moreutility providers, retailers, or manufacturers via the communicationnetwork 15 and, in the case where the communications network 15 is theInternet, the server 12, database 40, appliance 14, and mobile device 16can all be in the same communication network 19.

The appliance 14 can comprise any home appliance used for cooking orpreparing food. Non-limiting examples of the appliance 14 include anoven, toaster oven, cooktop, or microwave, and it is contemplated thatthe appliance 14 can include a food preparation element such as a mixingor stirring element. The appliance communication module 14C can providefor data communication with the server 12 or mobile device 16, usingwired or wireless connections where appropriate. The appliance 14 canalso include components such as an access door, heating element, timer,or temperature control, and such components will not be describedfurther herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of thedisclosure.

The mobile device 16 can comprise a processor 16P, memory 16M, andimaging device 16S, and can be capable of communicating with the network10 via a mobile communication module 16C including an antenna orreceiver. The mobile device 16 can send and receive messages and data,including text, SMS, MMS, or other types of messages, and also transmitor receive data in a form that can be translated and displayed as amessage. The imaging device 16S can comprise a camera, an opticalscanner, or a near-field-communication (NFC) reader in non-limitingexamples, and can be capable of scanning a barcode or capturing an imagein order to read an indicia. Mobile devices 16 also typically comprise amobile interactive display 16D which can provide users with access andcontrol of the mobile device 16. While the mobile device 16 isillustrated and generally described in relation to a mobile phone, itcan, for example, comprise a smartphone, a tablet computer, a desktopcomputer, or a notebook computer.

A router 18 is typically used in a home environment, and can providewired or wireless communication between the appliance 14, mobile device16, and communication network 15. The router 18 can exchange data andinformation from the mobile device 16 or appliance 14 with thecommunication network 15, which can exchange information with the server12 as needed. Therefore, the appliance 14, mobile device 16, and server12 can all be in communication with each other through the communicationnetwork 15.

Turning to FIG. 2, a software application 20 in the mobile device 16 cancomprise an input module 21, a query module 22, a conversion module 23,an output module 24, a display module 25, a transmission module 26, anda remote start module 27.

The imaging device 16S in the mobile device 16 can be used to image aprepackaged food item 30, illustrated as scanning a barcode 32 on thefood item 30. The input module 21 can include executable instructions toreceive the barcode information identifying the food item 30. The querymodule 22 can include executable instructions to query the database 40based on the barcode information, and cooking instructions 50 for thefood item 30 can be transmitted from the database 40 to the query module22.

It will be appreciated that while illustrated as receiving a barcode 32,the input module 21 can receive any type of identifier for the food item30 including a QR code, near-field-communication tag, text, numericalcode, or image, in non-limiting examples.

The cooking instructions 50 for the food item 30 can include options fora variety of appliances, such as one set of instructions for cooking ina microwave and another set of instructions for baking in an oven oreven a third set of instructions for cooking in a toaster oven. In anexample where an oven pre-heating step is present, a conversion module23 of the application 20 can convert the cooking instructions 50 intomodified cooking instructions 50M that do not include a pre-heatingstep. In such a case, the modified cooking instructions 50M can allowfor the food item 30 to be placed in a non-preheated oven such as theappliance 14 and baked accordingly. In another non-limiting examplewhere cooking instructions 50 include a single baking step, such as“Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes,” the conversion module 23 cangenerate modified cooking instructions 50M that include multiple bakingstages such as “Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then bake at 300degrees for 30 minutes.”

It is further contemplated that the conversion module 23 can convert thecooking instructions 50 based on a particular appliance. In one example,the cooking instructions 50 for the food item 30 can include a cookingtime based on an 800 W microwave oven, and the conversion module 23 canperform a conversion to prepare the food item 30 in an 1100 W microwaveoven. In another example, the cooking instructions 50 can include acooking time based on a microwave oven operating at its maximum powerlevel, and the conversion module 23 can perform a conversion to cook thefood item 30 at a reduced power level for an increased amount of time.It will be understood that the conversion module 23 can perform otherconversions in the spirit of the present disclosure.

Additionally, a user can update attributes of the cooking instructions50, such as cooking time or quantity of food items 30 being cooked at atime, and generate custom cooking instructions 50C that can be stored ina custom library 60. The custom library 60 can be stored in the mobiledevice memory 26M (FIG. 1), in the server 12 (FIG. 1), in the appliance14, or in any suitable electronic storage medium in data communicationwith the application 20 as desired. In non-limiting examples the customlibrary 60 can also include a list of favorite, frequently-prepared, orrecently-prepared food items 30, and the custom library 60 can also besorted by appliance type or food type as desired. In yet anotherexample, the server 12 can include an aggregated, user-submitted, set ofmodifications to the cooking instructions 50. In such a case, the querymodule 22 can return the user-submitted modifications along with thecooking instructions 50, and the conversion module 23 can include theuser-submitted modifications when generating the modified cookinginstructions 50M or custom cooking instructions 50C.

The cooking instructions 50, 50M, 50C can be transmitted to an outputmodule 24 having executable instructions to output the cookinginstructions 50, 50M, 50C to a desired location. A display module 25 canprepare the cooking instructions 50, 50M, 50C for display on a screen,such as the interactive display 16D (FIG. 1) or a screen on an appliance14 as desired.

A transmission module 26 can transmit any version or all of the cookinginstructions 50, 50M, 50C to all appliances 14 capable of cooking thefood item 30. In another example, a user can pre-select a desiredappliance 14 for the transmission module 26 to transmit to. Furthermore,the transmission module 26 can transmit the cooking instructions 50,50M, 50C to a second mobile device (not illustrated). In such a case,the cooking instructions 50, 50M, 50C can be formatted or optimized forviewing on the second mobile device. It should be understood that otherexamples in the spirit of the present disclosure are contemplated foruse in the software application 20.

A remote start module 27 can include executable instructions to turn onthe appliance 14 remotely, such as turning on an oven or starting amicrowave, as well as specifying a time duration or intervals atparticular temperatures, in non-limiting examples.

FIG. 3 further illustrates the conversion module 23. At 231, the cookinginstructions 50 are received as input to the conversion module 23. At232 the cooking instructions 50 can be checked for a pre-heating step;if found, modified cooking instructions 50M can be generated at 233 toremove the pre-heating step and adjust cooking times or temperatures asappropriate. At 234 the conversion module 23 can check the quantity ofprepackaged food items 30 being cooked. In an example where cookinginstructions 50 reflect cooking a single food item 30, and a userdesires to cook more than one of a given food item 30 simultaneously,the conversion module can generate custom cooking instructions 30C at235 for the desired quantity. It is also contemplated that modifiedcooking instructions 50M can be converted to custom cooking instructions50C. In a non-limiting example, a user may desire to cook multiple fooditems 30 whose cooking instructions 50 include a pre-heat step. Theconversion module can remove the pre-heat step at 233 to generatemodified cooking instructions 50M, and further generate custom cookinginstructions 50C at 235 to reflect the quantity of items. It should beappreciated that other types of conversions can be performed by theconversion module 23. In non-limiting examples, conversions can beperformed to add or remove user intervention steps or other foodpreparation steps such as removal of film coverings, stirring ofcontents, or addition of ingredients to the prepackaged food item 30, innon-limiting examples.

It is further contemplated that cooking instructions 50 containingmultiple steps can be converted into modified cooking instructions 50Mcontaining a single user step, such as placing a food item 30 in anappliance 14 and pressing a start button on the appliance 14 without theneed for pre-heating. In such a case, the appliance 14 can havecomputation and control circuitry to automatically adjust a cooking timeor temperature without additional user intervention.

Turning to FIG. 4, an exemplary view on the interactive display 16D ofthe mobile device 16 illustrates that a user can select from a list 71of favorite food items, or select a barcode scanner 72 to activate theimaging device 16S (FIG. 1). In FIG. 5, the interactive display 16D canindicate the user's selected option by way of a text listing, productcode, or visual image of the food item 30. The quantity of food items 30can be entered at 73 by tapping on a number or entry using an on-screenkeyboard in non-limiting examples.

FIG. 6 shows the interactive display 16D verifying the type and quantityof a selected food item 30. In a case where more than one appliance isavailable to cook the food item 30, an appliance list 74 can bepresented for selection of an appliance 14 (FIG. 2) by a user. In FIG.7, the interactive display 16D can verify the type and quantity of aselected food item 30 as well as the selected appliance 14, and a prompt75 can be displayed to start the appliance 14 remotely if desired.

While illustrated in FIGS. 4-7 using the mobile device 16, it should beunderstood that the software application 20 can also be implemented inan appliance 14 or other device or console (not illustrated).Furthermore, any or all of the user prompts 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 can beimplemented in a combination of devices, such as using the mobile device16 for the prompts 71, 72, 73 while using the appliance 14 for theprompts 74, 75, in non-limiting examples.

FIG. 8 illustrates two appliances in the network 10 (FIG. 1), shown asan oven 141 and a microwave 142. It is contemplated that in a case wheremore than one appliance is capable of cooking the food item 30, such asthe oven 141 and microwave 142, one or more of the cooking instructions50, 50M, 50C can be transmitted to all appliances 141, 142 until one isselected for cooking the food item 30. The selection can be made throughthe application 20 at the prompt 74 (FIG. 6), or by a user 150interacting with one appliance such as the oven 141 by pressing a buttonor opening a door, in non-limiting examples. Once selected, the oven 141can transmit a signal S to all non-selected appliances such as themicrowave 142 indicating its operations state of being selected forcooking. It is further contemplated that the transmitted cookinginstructions 50, 50M, 50C can be stored in a local memory of theappliances 141, 142 for later recall, or that the non-selectedappliances can delete the transmitted cooking instructions 50, 50M, 50Cfrom local memory. It will be understood that while two appliances areshown in the example of FIG. 8, any number of appliances 14 can beincluded in the network 10.

A method of implementing the cooking instructions 50, 50M, 50C by way ofthe application 20 (FIG. 2) executed on the mobile device 16 cancomprise receiving on the processor 16P (FIG. 1) an input from theapplication 20, such as the barcode 32 (FIG. 2). The database 40 (FIG.2) can be queried for the cooking instructions 50 associated with thebarcode 32, and the cooking instructions 50 can be converted intomodified cooking instructions 50M or custom cooking instructions 50C.The cooking instructions 50, 50M, 50C can be output to a desiredlocation, such as formatting for use in the appliance 14 or the mobiledevice 16 as described above. The appliance 14 or mobile device 16 canthen receive the cooking instructions 50, 50M, 50C.

It can be appreciated that aspects of the present disclosure can providefor a more automated and customized cooking process, where scanning abarcode on a selected prepackaged food item can transmit the cookinginstructions to a chosen appliance, and the cooking instructions can besimplified to reduce or remove user intervention steps compared withtraditional methods of food preparation.

To the extent not already described, the different features andstructures of the various embodiments can be used in combination, or insubstitution with each other as desired. That one feature is notillustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed thatit cannot be so illustrated, but is done for brevity of description.Thus, the various features of the different embodiments can be mixed andmatched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the newembodiments are expressly described. All combinations or permutations offeatures described herein are covered by this disclosure.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal languages of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system of networked appliances for implementingcooking instructions for a prepackaged food item in a cooking appliance,comprising: an imaging device configured to read an input associatedwith the prepackaged food item; a cooking instruction databasecomprising a list of prepackaged food cooking instructions; a querymodule comprising executable instructions to query the cookinginstruction database based on the input and return cooking instructionsfor the prepackaged food item; a conversion module comprising executableinstructions that convert the cooking instructions to modified cookinginstructions; and at least one appliance configured to receive themodified cooking instructions.
 2. The system of claim 1 furthercomprising a transmission module comprising executable instructions totransmit the modified cooking instructions to multiple appliances. 3.The system of claim 2 wherein one of the multiple appliancescommunicates an operations state to another of the multiple appliances.4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a mobile device configuredto modify the modified cooking instructions by user input to createcustom cooking instructions.
 5. The system of claim 4 further comprisinga custom library configured to store the custom cooking instructions. 6.The system of claim 4 wherein the mobile device remote starts the atleast one appliance.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the conversionmodule converts multiple-step cooking instructions into single-stepcooking instructions.
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least oneappliance comprises one of an oven, toaster oven, cooktop, or microwave.9. A system of networked appliances for implementing cookinginstructions for a prepackaged food item in a cooking appliance,comprising: a cooking instruction database comprising a list ofprepackaged food cooking instructions; a mobile device, comprising: animaging device configured to receive an input identifying theprepackaged food item; a query module comprising executable instructionsto query the cooking instruction database based on the input and returncooking instructions for the prepackaged food item; and a conversionmodule comprising executable instructions that convert the cookinginstructions to modified cooking instructions; and at least oneappliance configured to receive the modified cooking instructions fromthe mobile device and to implement the modified cooking instructions forthe prepackaged food item.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the atleast one appliance comprises multiple appliances each configured toreceive the modified cooking instructions.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein a selected appliance of the multiple appliances is configured totransmit a signal to a non-selected appliance of the multiple appliancesindicative of a selected state for implementing the modified cookinginstructions.
 12. A method of implementing cooking instructions onprepackaged foods by way of an application executed on a mobile device,the method comprising: receiving, in a processor, an input from theapplication; querying a database for cooking instructions associatedwith the input; converting the cooking instructions into modifiedcooking instructions by removing a pre-heating step; outputting themodified cooking instructions; and receiving the modified cookinginstructions in one of an appliance or a mobile device.
 13. The methodof claim 12 wherein the appliance is one of an oven, toaster oven,cooktop, or microwave.
 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the appliancedisplays the modified cooking instructions.
 15. The method of claim 14wherein the modified cooking instructions include a cooking time andtemperature.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the modified cookinginstructions are implemented by user input on the appliance.
 17. Themethod of claim 16 wherein the user input comprises pressing a startbutton on the appliance.
 18. The method of claim 12 wherein thereceiving the modified cooking instructions comprises receiving themodified cooking instructions in multiple appliances.
 19. The method ofclaim 12 wherein the input comprises one of a barcode or a quickresponse (QR) code.
 20. The method of claim 12 wherein the modifiedcooking instructions can be altered by user input on one of theappliance or mobile device.